Selectmen fed up with slow investigation

Breanna Edelstein, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
·2 min read

Apr. 20—SALEM, N.H. — Selectmen want a sit-down meeting with the New Hampshire Attorney General to break the silence surrounding an investigation into retired Deputy police Chief Rob Morin, which was announced more than two years ago.

At a regular public meeting this week, selectmen unanimously agreed that Chairwoman Cathy Stacey will make the request on behalf of the board.

Top state investigators first announced a probe of the Salem Police Department in November 2018, leading to a closer look at four top-ranking officers within several months.

Three have since retired — Morin, Chief Paul Donovan and Capt. Michael Wagner — while Sgt. Michael Verrocchi remains on paid leave pending the outcome of an ongoing criminal case.

Verrocchi, who has maintained his policing certification, is facing charges from 2012 for reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and disobeying police, according to records. Wagner is simultaneously facing seven-year-old tax fraud allegations in federal court.

A statement from the New Hampshire Attorney General in December announced that Donovan was investigated for "official oppression and or/sworn falsification," but cleared of any wrongdoing.

The remaining question mark is in regard to Morin. And selectmen say a conclusion is long overdue.

"This town needs a final answer and we need to move forward," Stacey said at this week's meeting.

Board member James Keller agreed, stating, "I think we are owed answers."

Selectman Bob Bryant pointed out that three years have passed since an audit of the Police Department sparked the investigations and subsequent fallout of police leadership.

According to New Hampshire law, public officials can be criminally charged "at any time when the defendant is in public office or within two years thereafter."

In Morin's case, that deadline is six weeks away; May 31 marks two years since his retirement.

He said in the 28 months since the investigation was announced, no one from the Attorney General's office has contacted him or accepted an invitation from his and his attorney to meet in Concord.

When asked about the status of the case and whether a grand jury has considered charges against Morin, a spokesperson for the state Attorney General said, "the investigation remains ongoing and therefore, we are unable to comment."

Also, "Grand Jury is a closed process and we are unable to discuss those proceedings."

Recommended Stories

  • Ohio shooting: Young woman dead by police in Columbus

    Police responded to call that female was trying to stab someone with knife

  • ‘Am I off my meds?’: Greg Gutfeld reprimanded on Fox News for ‘selfish’ on-air reaction to Chauvin verdict

    Incredulous fellow anchors groan in background as Gutfeld offers take on verdict

  • Apple's new iPad Pro is the best explanation for why we'll never see a touchscreen MacBook

    The MacBook Pro and Air aren't Apple's biggest rivals to Windows laptops. The new iPad Pro, which is now powered by the company's M1 chip, is.

  • Rep. Ilhan Omar: Chauvin Trial ‘Feels Like a Closed Case’

    Representative Ilhan Omar on Tuesday became the latest in a string of elected Democrats to weigh-in on the trial of Derek Chauvin, telling reporters in Brooklyn Center, Minn., that the case against the former police officer feels like a “closed case.” “This case, to me, feels like a closed case, where it shouldn’t be really even a questioned whether there will be an acquittal or a verdict that doesn’t meet the scale of the crime that was committed,” the Minnesota Democrat said. “I know that a majority of the community has trust in the leadership of Attorney General Ellison and the prosecutors… to be able to prosecute this case in a way that was dignified and just,” she continued. “The community is still on edge and feels that we are a community that has experienced injustice over and over again. This might actually be the turning point.” “The case, to me, feels like a closed case” Representative Ilhan Omar gives remarks about the Derek Chauvin Trial this morning in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota #BrooklynCenter #ChauvinTrial pic.twitter.com/3fKCY3IcVX — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) April 20, 2021 Chauvin is charged with second and third-degree murder, as well as manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. Omar did not specify which charge she believes Chauvin is guilty of. Omar’s comments came just hours after President Joe Biden said that the evidence against Chauvin was “overwhelming” and that he was “praying” that “the right verdict” would be reached. Speaking to protesters in Brooklyn Center on Saturday, Representative Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) told the crowd to “get more confrontational” if Chauvin was acquitted. She was chastised on Monday by the judge presiding over the Chauvin trial, who said her comments to protesters were “abhorrent” and could lead the trial to be overturned on appeal. Omar said she hoped the verdict would come soon, so “the community can begin the process of healing.” Law enforcement and officials in the area anticipate unrest and protest if the jury returns a decision of “not guilty.”

  • Driver lies about crash with 18-wheeler to cover up fatal hit-and-run, SC officials say

    “She left my baby, in the street, like he didn’t matter.”

  • After nuclear talks, Iran's president says deal could be reached soon

    Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday, after another round of nuclear talks in Vienna, that an agreement can be reached in a short time if the U.S. acts with "honesty."Why it matters: Rouhani’s optimism comes as representatives of Iran and other world powers, including the U.S., are about to start drafting a plan to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."The talks in Vienna have progressed about 60, 70% and if the Americans act within the framework of honesty, we will achieve results in a short time."Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with political activists in TehranDriving the news: Senior diplomats from Iran, the EU, France, Germany, the U.K., Russia and China met today in Vienna to review the progress made by two expert working groups. The groups have focused on the steps required from the U.S. on sanctions relief and from Iran on its nuclear program. The EU announced that a third group would now be formed to focus on the sequencing of those potential measures from the U.S. and Iran.U.S. envoy Rob Malley and his team didn’t attend the plenary meeting but held indirect talks with the Iranians through EU representatives. They also met with members of the other delegations in Vienna.State Department spokesman Ned Price said the talks in Vienna this week were businesslike and positive, but “there is still a long road ahead of us. Most of the road is still ahead of us.”Price said the U.S. and Iran have a common goal of restoring the deal, but the U.S. will not make concessions without being certain that Iran will return to full compliance.What’s next: The members of the various delegations are expected to go back to their capitals for consultations and then return to Vienna for another round of talks next week, the EU said in a statement.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • How one Chinatown curbs anti-Asian violence and unites a city

    Multiethnic teams of volunteers patrolling Chinatown in Oakland, California, are awaking and uniting the city.

  • Ted Nugent reacts after testing positive for COVID: ‘Never been so sick in my life’

    The singer in the past has said the coronavirus is “not a real pandemic,” calling it a “leftist scam to destroy” then-President Donald Trump.

  • George W. Bush said he's troubled by 'the capacity of people to spread all kind of untruth'

    Former President George Bush said in an interview with the "Today" show that he avoided Twitter, Facebook, and "any of that stuff."

  • Sheriff: Woman purposely drove into teens playing basketball

    A white North Carolina woman was charged with driving her car into a yard where three Black teenagers were playing basketball, injuring one of them. A Pitt County Sheriff's Office news release said deputies responded Sunday afternoon to a report of a child intentionally hit by a car in Greenville. The news release said that Daina Renee Forrest, 35, of Greenville, had been driving around and threatening the three teens by waving a knife and cursing.

  • Maxine Waters offers right-wing alternative universe for Chauvin trial

    Data: Stanford Cable TV News Analyzer; Chart: Axios VisualsWhile Fox News has largely ignored the Derek Chauvin trial compared to competitors, conservative media seized on comments from Rep. Maxine Waters over the weekend, making it the single biggest trial storyline on social media since it began on March 29, according to NewsWhip data provided to Axios.Why it matters: The data shows that for conservative America, the story in Minneapolis is being used as a way to highlight the aggression of protesters rather than the police killing of a Black man.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.By the numbers: The three biggest stories on social media about the trial since it began all came this weekend, all from conservative media, all reacting to Waters’ comments on Saturday night.Sunday was the biggest day of engagement around the trial since it began.7 of the top 10 stories during this period came from conservative publishers, all nodding at the prospect of protestor violence.The big picture: Conservative media is otherwise looking away from the trial on TV. Data from the Stanford Cable News Analyzer shows that Fox News has spent 4.2 minutes this month covering the trial, compared to 51.7 minutes from CNN and 40.7 minutes from MSNBC.Driving the news: Waters said last weekend that protestors need to "get more confrontational" if Chauvin were acquitted, prompting swift outcry from conservatives.House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Waters incited violence and plans to introduce a resolution to censure her, while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called to expel Waters from Congress.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • '90210' star AnnaLynne McCord says she has dissociative identity disorder: 'All of my roles were splits'

    McCord said she first realized she might have DID, a condition previously known as multiple personality disorder, while filming a horror movie.

  • Apple unveils new products, schedules privacy crackdown

    Apple spruced up its product line at an event Tuesday while slipping in quiet notice of a software update, now due next week, designed to enhance the privacy of iPhone users at the expense of digital advertisers such as Facebook. Timing for the software upgrade trickled out during a series of announcements for new iPads, iMac computers and more during a pre-recorded event that sometimes seemed like a one-hour infomercial for Apple. Apple also unveiled a new subscription option for podcasts and a gadget called AirTags — coin-sized devices that can be attached to keys, backpacks, purses and other items to help people track them down via iPhone if they're misplaced.

  • Rihanna Buys Beverly Hills Mansion Next Door for $10 Million

    The singer reportedly bought the place beside it three months earlier for $13.8 million

  • State Department to issue 'Do Not Travel' advisories for 80 percent of countries

    The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to pose an "unprecedented risk" to travelers, the State Department said Monday, and travel advisories are being updated to "outline current issues affecting travelers' health." The changes "better reflect" the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's travel health notices, the State Department said, and will "result in a significant increase in the number of countries at Level 4: Do Not Travel, to approximately 80 percent of countries worldwide." The advisories also take into account "logistical factors," the State Department said, like "in-country testing availability and current travel restrictions for U.S. citizens." Level 4 is the highest travel advisory level, and there are now about three dozen countries with this designation, CNN reports. The CDC is recommending that people delay international travel until they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, adding that even those who have been inoculated "are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants." More stories from theweek.comAll 40 movies nominated for an Oscar this year, rankedThe new HBO show you won't be able to stop watchingFormer Trump aides are reportedly frustrated he didn't become vaccine 'salesman-in-chief' as planned

  • Why at least 300,000 people in 33 states are losing unemployment benefits earlier than expected

    A key tool to provide jobless aid to long-term unemployed people is broken, causing some laid-off workers to have their benefits yanked.

  • Sen. Durbin: Republicans alarmed that 'too many voters are showing up'

    EDITOR'S NOTE: AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS STORY MISIDENTIFIED SENATOR DURBIN'S HOME STATE. HE REPRESENTS ILLINOIS, NOT DELAWARE."The problem is obvious," Durbin said. "Too many people are showing up."The Illinois Democrat chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday titled, "Jim Crow 2021: The Latest Assault on the Right to Vote," focused on efforts by Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere to implement new voting laws that critics say will limit voting access by African-Americans and other minorities that lean Democratic.Georgia's new law imposed tougher requirements for absentee ballots and made it illegal for members of the public to offer food and water to voters in line."Among Georgia voters who returned absentee ballots, we get an answer to our question," Durbin said in his opening remarks. "Sixty-five percent of those who returned absentee ballots voted for [Democratic] President Biden. Thirty-five percent for [Republican] Donald Trump."

  • Electric cars aren't the climate-change answer Joe Biden is selling you

    Biden's American Jobs Plan also includes money for investing in electric cars. EVs are great, but subsidies are not.

  • How to manage your coronavirus vaccine side effects - including tips for avoiding painkillers

    Minimize discomfort by moving your arm or taking hot showers. Use cold washcloths or ice instead of Advil.

  • Teen's death puts focus on split-second police decisions

    Thirteen-year-old Adam Toledo dropped the gun he'd been holding, turned and began raising his hands just as the officer had commanded. The graphic video that became the latest tragic touchstone in the nation’s reckoning with race and policing puts a microscope on those split-second decisions with far-reaching and grave consequences. Investigators are still sorting through exactly what happened, but the shooting has raised difficult questions about why the boy wasn't given more time to comply and whether the deadly encounter could have been prevented in the first place.